Anticlog device for engine radiators



1967 M. J. BOYAJIAN 39 9 ANTICLOG DEVICE FOR ENGINE RADIATORS Filed July 20, 1965 Q M/w w United States Patent I O 3 344 854 ANTICLOG DEVIC FOl ENGINE RADIATORS Myron J. Boyajian, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Allisgh almers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee,

Filed July 20, 1965, Ser. No. 473,354 3 Claims. (Cl. 165-119) cooling medium by the provision of a movable endless belt screen around the heat exchanger.

Heretofore, heat exchangers such as engine radiators have become clogged due to airborne particles lodging in the cooling air passageways. This has prompted use of a fixed or removable screen which requires periodic cleaning to maintain proper cooling of the engine coolant. In some instances a screen is not used but there remains the need to periodically clean the radiator air cooling passageways. The disadvantage of the prior art constructions has been that the vehicle in which the engine is used is not available during the cleaning operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide filtering or screening means for preventing airborne particles from lodging in the radiator without need for stopping the engine or vehicle to clean such means.

It is a further object of this invention to provide screening means for preventing clogging of an engine radiator which utilizes the air flow through the radiator to effect cleaning of the screening means.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an engine radiator structure incorporating the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a top view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 and showing its relation to an engine.

Referring to the drawings, the engine radiator structure 11, secured to support structure 15, 15' and 20, serves as a heat exchanger for reducing the temperature of the coolant circulated through the engine 12 by an engine driven pump (not shown). The engine driven pump draws fluid from the radiator through hose 13 and connection 14 and delivers it to cooling passages in the engine block. The engine coolant passing from the engine to the top tank 17 of the radiator 11 by way of hose 19 and connection 18, passes downwardly through tubes 16 to a bottom tanklike portion 30 to which outlet connection 14 is attached.

In some vehicle installations such as forklift trucks, the engine fan 22 pushes the air through the radiator 11 in the direction indicated by arrow 23 in FIG. 1 and arrow 23' in FIG. 2. As shown in the breakaway portion of FIG. 2, the vertical tubes are spaced transversely from one another to provide air flow passageways 26 between front and rear end of the radiator.

When working in areas where the air is ladden with debris such as might be expected in cotton warehousing operations, the radiator will tend to become plugged by the cotton lint carried by the air. To obviate clogging of the radiator and the need to periodically clean the radiator or any protecting screen that might be installed, I provide an endless belt screen 31 which is disposed around the radiator in confronting relation to opposite ends of the passageways 26 through the radiator in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. By thus completely covering both the air linet and air outlet ends of the radia- 3,344,854 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 tor 11, the air passing into the radiator will be filtered of its airborne particles by the screen 31 and particles clinging to the screen 31 at the opposite side of the radiator will be blown off. In order to provide a continuous filtering and screen cleaning operation, I provide vertically disposed rollers 32, 34 at opposite lateral sides of the radiator for permitting the screen to be moved around the radiator in its endless path. The rollers 32, 34 are rotatably mounted on the radiator structure by brackets 36, 37.

A continuous movement of the screen is permitted by provision of power means in the form of an electric motor 41 secured to the radiator. The drive shaft of the motor 41 is shown connected directly to one of the rollers 34 although it may be desired to provide a speed reducer. As shown in FIG. 1 a switch 42 may be provided to disconnect the motor from the battery 45 thus making operation of the motor selective. It should be understood of course that other means for driving the screen 31 can be provided without departing from the spirit of this invention. In order to prevent the endless screen 31 from moving transversely relative to its path of movement, I provide guide strips 43, 43' on the upper and lower portions of the radiator 11 at the front and rear ends thereof. It will be noted that the transverse width of the screen is less than the distance between the radiator coolant connections 14, 18.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided an extremely novel and useful means for preventing clogging of a radiator which does not necessitate stopping the engine or vehicle for cleaning. Thus a the time heretofore spent by the operator in unclogging the radiator or in cleaning the screen protecting the radiator is saved for useful work. By moving this screen in its endless loop or path, the debris does not buildup on the screen to such an extent that effective circulation of air through the radiator is prevented. Debris caught by the screen on the engine end of the radiator is carried by the screen to the opposite end where air passing through the radiator serves to dislodge the particles and blow them away. Thus the screen continuously filters airborne particles out of the air passing through the radiator and the air forced through the radiator by the fan serves to clean such particles from the screen at the opposite side of the radiator. In some conditions the air may be so ladden with foreign particles that it is desired to continuously rotate the screen. In which event this may be readily accomplished with my present invention. In other instances it may be desired to selectively drive the screen and for this purpose a suitable switch 42 is provided in the motor power circuit so that the motor may be selectively energized.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as fol- V lows:

1. Incombination:

an engine radiator structure having passageways between opposite ends thereof for flow of cooling air therethrough,

a support structure mounting said radiator structure,

an endless belt screen around said radiator structure covering opposite ends of said passageways,

mounting means supporting said belt screen including at least two rollers rotatably mounted on brackets on one of said structures at opposite sides of said radiator structure,

means for moving said belt screen in its endless path around said radiator structure, and

an engine fan on the outer side of said belt screen operative to force air through said belt screen, thence I 3 4 through said passageways, thence again through said References Cited sciiitleeg whereby air flowingtlirough said, ietlssagewayi UNITED STATES PATENTS w eposi oreign ma ena on sa1 e screen a one end of said radiator structure and blow foreign g zgfi material off said belt screen on the other end of said 5 e y 2,782,612 2/1967 spiegelhalter 62162 radiator structure thereby preventlng clogging of said 2 902 834 9/1959 Bosworth et a1 62 78 air passageways.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said FOREIGN PATENTS mounting means includes a pair of rollers at each of 796,839 4/1936 France. said opposite sides of said radiator structure. 7 10 3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein'said STREULE, Assistant Examiner;- brackets are secured to said radiator structure. ROBERT O'LEARY, Primary Examine: 

1. IN COMBINATION: AN ENGINGE RADIATOR STRUCTURE HAVING PASSAGEWAYS BETWEEN OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF FOR FLOW OF COOLING AIR THERETHROUGH, A SUPPORT STRUCTURE MOUNTING SAID RADIATOR STRUCTURE, AN ENDLESS BELT SCREEN AROUND SAID RADIATOR STRUCTURE COVERING OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID PASSAGEWAYS, MOUNTING MEANS SUPPORTING SAID BELT SCREEN INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO ROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON BRACKETS ON ONE OF SAID STRUCTURES AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID RADIATOR STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BELT SCREEN IN ITS ENDLESS PATH AROUND SAID RADIATOR STRUCTURE, AND AN ENGINE FAN ON THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID BELT SCREEN OPERATIVE TO FORCE AIR THROUGH SAID BELT SCREEN, THENCE 